Shortly after The Outlook went to press last week, the newsroom received word that the detour rerouting drivers between Kane Drive and South Troutdale Road would last longer than planned.

Transportation authorities had set a previous target date of Friday, Oct. 13, for ending the construction work, but weather and a leaky pipe forced the delay.

Contractors have largely refilled the 30-foot pit that was dug beneath the roadway in order to build a new channel for fish swimming along Beaver Creek.

Other progress includes a newly-installed 27-inch pipe, which collects rainfall on the western side of Stark and empties into Beaver Creek. Workers haven't quite finished building a retaining wall by the downstream opening of the fish passage.

In a press announcement, Multnomah County spokesman Mike Pullen says the final items on the to-do list involve reconnecting water and sewer lines, as well as construction of a safety guardrail along the top of Stark where it spans the creek.

"The contractor is working weekends to shorten the schedule as much as possible," Pullen wrote. "Landscaping work will continue after Stark Street reopens."